Oakland County close to rolling out new prescription discount program; old plan expired in January

Oakland County government officials expect to roll out a public service announcement for a new, countywide prescription drug discount program that should be finalized within the next month.

And, if all goes well, said Commissioner Jim Runestad, it could end up making the county money in the long term.

The basis of the plan is to make free prescription drug discount cards available for uninsured and underinsured residents.

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"A few minor details are being worked out in the contract," said Runestad, R-White Lake Township. "I'm very anxious to roll this out as soon as possible."

The contract of the county's old partner, CVS Caremark, expired Jan. 1.

The new suitor for the program, Coast2Coast Rx Card, has been supplying benefits packages and insurance products to customers for more than 20 years.

It is billed to provide a myriad of prescription savings options and to improve health outcomes. Consumers in participating counties can save up to 75 percent on more than 60,000 brand name drugs, while filling their prescriptions at one of 59,000-plus participating pharmacies nationwide.

Headed by Runestad, the Coast2Coast campaign scored three times higher than its predecessor in every category, said the commissioner.

And once the discount cards are distributed, he said, the county could end up earning $1.25 per prescription.

It isn't easy to get into the public sphere in the first year of a transition, Runestad said.

"Everyone has existing cards ... we'll have to transition," he said. "Coast2Coast will be spending up to $250,000 in advertising to get people to start using the new cards."

The current contractor "has a better penetration rate, and we expect to have extra dollars coming into the county," he added.

Commissioner Dave Woodward, D-Royal Oak, a proponent of the program, said this gives the board an opportunity to look at health-care needs, expanding existing services and helping fund new programs.

"Action by the board is going to result in greater savings primarily, which is really important to people who don't have prescription drug coverage," Woodward said.

Woodward said he is looking forward to working with the Democratic and Republican caucuses and the administration to improve health care for Oakland County residents.

"I have high hopes for the program," said Woodward, "as Coast2Coast has been picked up in many counties across the country."

Coast2Coast has partnered with several townships, counties and cities across the nation, and has a standard PSA that can be tailored to represent each unique location that endorses it.

The PSA, planned to be aired on local television stations, stars actor Mario Lopez, who volunteered to be the face of the program, said public relations consultant Leila Forsythe Alvarez.